Ammoniacum
Dorema ammoniacum

Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae

What it is like

Dorema ammoniacum is a PERENNIAL growing to 2.5 m (8ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 2.5

Where it is found

Loess loams in desert areas. Dry rocky areas.

W. Asia - Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 3

Ammoniacum has been used in Western herbal medicine for thousands of years and is still seen as an effective remedy for various complaints of the chest. A gum resin is found in cavities in the tissues of stems, roots and petioles. It often exudes naturally from holes in the stems caused by beetles though this is not so pure as that obtained from the plant tissues. The resin is antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, mildly diuretic, expectorant, poultice, stimulant and vasodilator. It is often used internally in the treatment of chronic bronchitis (especially in the elderly), asthma and catarrh. Externally, it is used as a plaster for swellings of the joints and indolent tumours. The resin exudes as a milky gum from holes made in the stems. This gum is pressed into blocks and then ground into a powder.

Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.

Vasodilator: Widens the blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure.

Other

Rating: 1

A medicinal gum or resin called 'Ammoniacum' is exuded from insect damaged stems. It is also used in perfumery and in porcelain cement as well as for plasters.

Resin: Used in perfumery, medicines, paints, soap making etc. This also includes turpentine, which is extracted from many resins and used as a preservative, water proofer etc,

How it is grown

Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil. Prefers a well-drained to dry soil in a sunny position. This species is not hardy in all parts of Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to at least -5°c. A monocarpic species, growing for a number of years before it flowers but then dying after flowering. It is said to produce viable seed in this country.

Propagating it: Seed - sow in an outdoor seedbed in April. It might be better to sow the seed in the autumn in a cold frame or greenhouse. The seed germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c. If seed is in short supply we would recommend sowing it in a pot in a cold frame and pricking out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Diserneston gummiferum